SoulCycle: SoulActivate
We couldn’t be more excited about our collaboration with SoulCycle. Long-time fans of the brand, we were beyond thrilled to team up and introduce “SoulActivate” to the world—a new SoulCycle experience that’s intense, raw, and entirely different. SoulActivate is a high-energy HIIT journey that pushes boundaries, designed for those willing to embrace both the challenge and the transformation.
In creating this campaign, we wanted to capture the essence of SoulActivate with authenticity and power. Using an Alexa Mini, vintage 80s cinema lenses, SkyPanels, and Astera AX1s, we crafted a visual world that mirrored the visceral energy we felt when we first experienced the class. Every frame reflects the honesty of SoulActivate: the sweat, the struggle, the moments of intensity balanced by relief, and the exhilaration of breaking through limits.
Music pulses at the heart of both SoulCycle and our edit, underscoring the rhythm of the journey. Through precise sound design, we emphasized the contrasts—particularly in the recovery segments, which define SoulActivate as an entirely new beast, unlike any traditional SoulCycle ride.
The response has been overwhelming. From die-hard SoulCycle fans to instructors and staff, the appreciation for our work has been humbling. We’re proud to have captured the essence of SoulActivate, offering viewers a raw glimpse of what awaits them in the studio: a transformative experience that’s as fierce as it is real.
Check out the Instagram embeds below to join the conversation and feel the SoulActivate energy for yourself.
CREDITS
CLIENT: SoulCycle
AGENCY: RIOT
DIRECTOR: Chris "MUG5" Maguire
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Zach Jopling
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Nastassja Simone
ASSISTANT CAMERA: James Regan
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT / DIT: Brendan Engle
GAFFER: Mark Sherman
GRIP: Ben Hunt
LIGHTING TECH: Justin Lee
SOUND: Matt Caulfield
HAIR MAKEUP: Katie Wedlund
STYLIST: Sam Bates
PHOTOGRAPHER: Tim Smith
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Roxana Zegan
PRODUCER: Heather Ogletree
DIRECTOR OF VISUAL DESIGN: Chelsea Podlogar
PRODUCTION MANAGER: Geneva Peschka
VP OF DESIGN: Alan Cooke
EDITING, COLOR & FX: Chris "MUG5" Maguire
ASSISTANT EDITING: Nastassja Simone
TALENT: Charlee Atkins
TALENT: Ashlee Ma
TALENT: Nastassia Adkins
TALENT: Karmyn Monton
TALENT: Keare Smith
TALENT: Solange Sandy
TALENT: Joe Hornberger
TALENT: Ash Kamel
ALT Version
SoulCycle: SoulActivate Screengrab Gallery
A small selection of screen-grabs from this film. We captured so much amazing footage that this gallery could probably be 100 times this size!
A RIOT docufilm for SoulCycle following James Lewis: spirituality, rowdy fun and togetherness, hip-hop loud enough that you forget how hard you're working.
Explore the Project →
A RIOT docufilm for SoulCycle following master instructor Emily Turner: a dancer first, with SoulCycle since 2011, who rode through her pregnancy and kept raising the bar.
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A RIOT docufilm for SoulCycle following senior instructor Victoria Brown: hip-hop, EDM, the sigh of relief after the hardest part, and her grandpa's advice about leaning in.
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A RIOT docufilm for SoulCycle following Francis Dolloway from Brooklyn: Jay-Z, Biggie, a strong first song, Fort Greene Park, and a firm position on naked pillows.
Explore the Project →
